A new global esports business, Guild Esports (Guild), headquartered in London and co-owned by David Beckham was launched recently. The entity is into developing a talent pipeline in the UK based on the traditional academy model. Through venture, the company is looking at becoming a bridge between sports and esports.
Other than developing talent, Guild will continually find and sign the best young talent. David Beckham, Guild Esports Co-owner, said, “Throughout my career I have been lucky enough to work with players at the top of their game, and I have seen first-hand the passion and dedication it takes to play at that level. I know that determination lives in our esports athletes today and at Guild we have a vision to set a new standard, supporting these players into the future.”
Guild is backed by a management team of esports veterans with experience as professional players, coaches and in the esports media. Guild Executive Chairman, Carleton Curtis, is an industry heavyweight and architect of the Overwatch League and Call Of Duty Leagues. Prior to joining Guild, he held senior esports roles at Activision Blizzard and Red Bull.
According to Newzoo report, the global esports market, which has enjoyed tremendous support in Asia and is now fast establishing itself as a mainstream entertainment globally, is currently valued at USD 1.1 billion and is projected to grow by 42 per cent to USD 1.56 billion by 2023.
Carleton Curtis, Executive Chairman, commented, “The meteoric rise of esports shows no signs of slowing down and this is the perfect moment for Guild Esports to enter this exciting market. We have built an experienced management team and I am proud to have David Beckham as co-owner in this venture as his professionalism and deep experience of developing high-functioning sports teams aligns with our core strategy of building the best in class esports teams.”
